Photographer: Stuart Blythe
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[Photos: Stuart Blythe]
Continue reading Joan Jett And The Blackhearts @ Sunset Sounds 2011, Brisbane – Photo Gallery
Tag Archives: sunset sounds
Sunset Sounds 2011, Day 2 – Photo Gallery
Sunset Sounds 2011, Day 1 – Photo Gallery
Photographer: Matt Palmer
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[Photos: Matt Palmer]
Continue reading Sunset Sounds 2011, Day 1 – Photo Gallery
Sunset Sounds 2011 – Day 1, January 5th, 2011 – Photo Gallery
SUNSET SOUNDS 2011 – VIP Festival Pack Giveaway!
In celebration of our foster band CHARLIE MAYFAIR winning a spot at Sunset Sounds 2011
Sunset Sounds and Life Music Media are excited to offer you the chance to win a SUNSET SOUNDS 2011 – VIP Festival Pack containing: 4 x VIP tickets to Sunset Sounds 1 x Sunset Sounds merch pack – T Shirt, Hat, Stubbie Holder and 4 x backstage passes to watch – Charlie Mayfair’s set, side of stage! |
Fill in the form below…
For extra good Karma, become a fan on Facebook and/or follow us on Twitter.
Entries close at 8pm(AEST) on Sunday the 19th December 2010
Good Luck!
Continue reading SUNSET SOUNDS 2011 – VIP Festival Pack Giveaway!
Sunset Sounds Foster Band Initiative is set to shine a light on local bands!
Vote for Charlie Mayfair here |
10 of Brisbane music’s most supportive media publications have teamed up with Sunset Sounds to bring you the Sunset Sounds Foster Band Initiative. That’s right, this fantastic initiative will not only shine a light on local artists, it also gives them the chance to secure a paid spot on the Sunset Sounds line up, along-side Interpol, Public Enemy, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, Klaxons, The National and heaps more! |
There are two spots up for grabs with 10 bands eagerly vying to be one of the chosen.
LIFE MUSIC MEDIA is proudly fostering Brisbane band Charlie Mayfair and thoughout November we’ll be bringing you some very tasty morsels of Charlie Mayfair goodness!
Continue reading Sunset Sounds Foster Band Initiative is set to shine a light on local bands!
CHARLIE MAYFAIR – SUNSET SOUNDS FOSTER BAND
– Charlie Mayfair |
In January 2010, a band was born: with fire in their bellies and rapture in their hearts, they took to stages sharing stories woven into songs. This band is Charlie Mayfair.
The early months of the year saw the band racing around their hometown writing songs, making friends, and letting people experience their unique style of folk-fired pop. They hollered their gigs from the rooftops and Brisbane heeded their call. |
And so their three-part-harmonised hollering led them to play at many lovely venues like The Powerhouse, The Troubadour, The Zoo, The Sound Lounge, World Bar and The Old Museum sharing the stage with the talented likes of Old Man River, Dan Parsons, Skipping Girl Vinegar, The Bedroom Philosopher, The Boat People, Loren, TheCoronas (IRE) and Iceland’s Svavar Knutur, amongst others.
Wasting no time jumping into the studio, a short six months from inception, their debut release Watch My Hands “is a five-track harmony wonderland” (Scene Magazine) imbued with a bohemian flair while striding effortlessly between elements of folk and pop. Launched at The Zoo in Brisbane to an impressive capacity crowd, the release has since received enthusiastic nods from across the nation with a feature on triple j Unearthed, spot plays on the station, and a growing collection of glowing commentary on the bands’ live shows and debut recording.
Having made a quick trek to Sydney to launch the release to a welcoming reception at the Finders Keepers markets and MUM, the remaining months of 2010 will see the group once again hit the road for their first east coast tour which follows the release of their debut video clip for ‘If I Fell Down’. The shows will feature new songs and showcase the newly expanded bands’ impassioned live show.
Debut EP – Watch My Hands
– Charlie Mayfair |
Ever craved some beautifully crafted music comprised of gently soaring harmonies and dainty whimsy, yet with a mature touch to the sound and lyrics?” – Lauren Sherrit, Life Music Media … Read Review “With their mature blend of classy pop, folk sounds and stunning harmonies, it’s hard to believe that |
“This is a really sweet folk-pop song, lovely harmonies going on.”
– Zan Rowe, triple j Unearthed
Available in stores via Green Distribution and online via Waterfront Records
Sunset Sounds Foster Band Initiative is set to shine a light on locals bands!
LIFE MUSIC MEDIA has selected CHARLIE MAYFAIR as its Sunset Sounds foster band.
Come on Brisbane… Australia… the World! Let’s secure them a spot at Sunset Sounds 2011 Festival.
Vote Here -> www.sunsetsounds.com.au/fosterband
Check out Charlie Mayfair on: Charlie Mayfair on Facebook Charlie Mayfair on Myspace Charlie Mayfair on Twitter |
Interpol Melbourne & Sydney Sideshows Announced!
Interpol – Australian Tour December 2010 / January 2011 Having been announced as headliner of Falls Festival, Sunset Sounds and Southbound this Summer, Handsome Tours are very pleased to announce that Interpol will be performing two exclusive sideshows in support of their highly-acclaimed, self-titled fourth record. |
Continue reading Interpol Melbourne & Sydney Sideshows Announced!
Live Review: Sunset Sounds Day 2, January 7 2010
Review: Duncan McKimm
[Photo: Matt Palmer] |
With a dominant lineup from start to finish, the Riverstage was heavily populated from early on the second day of Sunset Sounds. Blessed with pleasingly mild weather again, the general affability of the crowd should be commended – as should the prevalence of shirts on male patrons (why is that so hard at other festivals?). |
Having recently released what can only be described as a puzzling third album, Editors brought the air-strike riffs and towering vocals of their first two albums, interspersed with tracks from their strange Kulture Klub meets Ian Curtis new album to the Riverstage. Suffice to say their earlier material like ‘Munich’ and ‘Bullets’ moved the crowd and sounded fantastic through the big sound system. The less said about the few new tracks they brought the better.
Continue reading Live Review: Sunset Sounds Day 2, January 7 2010
Live Review: Sunset Sounds 2010 – Day 1
Author: Duncan McKimm
In a supreme tease to office workers across the CBD, Sunset Sounds opened its gates for a second year to accept the swarm of humanity buzzing around the Botanic Gardens mid-afternoon. Unfortunately, as I hold the excruciating dual-citizenship of office peon and festival-goer, my entry time didn’t allow me to see either the ethereal north Queenslanders The Middle East or local noisemakers DZ. |
I was, however, in time to see some nouveau disco from Brooklyn’s Phenomenal Handclap Band, who brought the funk to the Gardens stage right on time for the thickening crowd. Radio favourites like ’15 to 20’ were on beat, on point and pitch perfect – while ‘I been born again’ nailed the vaguely hippy atmosphere you get from standing under the majestic figs listening to music in the afternoon. Nothing like a funky jam out to really kick a festival off right.
With Jamie T not far away, the Riverstage gradually filled as the grey sky dimmed (nature’s shout out to the Brit?). Also in this time (between five and six thirty) it seemed the whole crowd had become very, er, animated… Jamie came on stage to a warm welcome – possibly fans from his recent tour, or possibly just pumped festival folk (see earlier animation remark). He and his Pacemakers launched into a set evenly split between his two albums – with the newer material really hitting with the crowd. Whether that’s a result of those songs having been written with a band instead of solo, or the crowd being new fans (T birds? T bags? ) I’m not sure. Unfortunately in something of an omen for the rest of the bands that night, his set lost focus midway through, with a solo rendition of ‘Back in the Game’ killing off the momentum. He wrangled it back with some good banter and a pleasantly loose ‘Sticks and Stones’, but overall the result was a bit of a near-miss.
Over to the Hibiscus Stage for a bit of Seasick Steve where my first thought was of where to best go to find some music that wouldn’t put me to sleep. Luckily I’d simply stumbled into the Sunset Sounds mid-set slump, which the formerly homeless entertainer exited with some exceptional blues guitar riffing. “We’re gonna play for the whole hour they gave us – I don’t give a fuck whether the band before us went long, we’re playin’ the whole thing, you can come tear me off the stage if you want”. Nothing like a menacing rant to the stage manager from a man that, let’s face it, may still carry a shiv, to really add a bit of excitement to the set.
Burning away from the last of Seasick Steve to catch Art Vs Science but my good lord – the crowd! The Gardens stage was packed out to way past the sound tent. These boys must be having the time of their lives riding the crest of the Triple J wave. ‘Parlez Vous Francais’ predictably had the crowd going nuts, but again, they followed with a mid-set slump! Now someone like Seasick Steve or even Jamie T you can probably forgive, as they’re not simply about getting a dancefloor moving (although I’m sure they’d enjoy it if it happened). But when your primary aim is to have the crowd moving non-stop, YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE SOME NOISE FELLAS! Tuning of guitars should be done while the rhythm section keeps the beat cranking away, not while they sneak a quick mid-set ciggie. If in doubt look at the girls in the front row – if they aren’t dancing you’re not doing your job right. The VERY animated crowd was leaving in droves before AVS could find the accelerator again for ‘Flippers’, most trying to secure a spot for Moby on the main stage presumably.
For a bald vegan midget, Moby certainly knows how to rock a show out. If you maybe aren’t the biggest fans of his work (I’d defy anyone to like everything he’s done), believe me – his live show is essential. It shows some of his greatest tracks in a new light – more punch, more verve, more…balls. Crass though it may be, ‘ballsy’ is the best adjective to describe the show. The man wore his guitar like a rock star and fronted his band like he owned the joint (which he may well do – he has quite the property portfolio). Tracks like Porcelain swam hauntingly around the amphitheatre, washing over the crowd with clarity and precision. Body Rock was suitably beefy, although the volume could certainly have been cranked up some. Even as close as the sound-tent the music was on the quieter side of things. His set is always eclectic and this one was no exception – dropping a thrashy punk song (“the first song I ever wrote”), before asking the crowd if he could add “three completely over the top disco tracks, if that’s alright?” – Moby nailed his banter, chatty but without losing momentum. There were no objections from the crowd to his setlist as the dancing spread backwards from the pit and up the hill. By the time he decided to hit us with his trancier material at the close the entire Riverstage was “Haviiin’ iiiiiit” (as a nearby Pom exclaimed). As the man himself summed up – “I’ve made a lot of different types of music in my time, but at the heart of it, I’m still a little raver. Some of the greatest times in my life have been spent with my hands in the air in some field listening to techno as the sun comes up”. Amen to that.
And so concludes Day 1 of Sounds of Spring 2010.
Sunset Sounds Day 1 January 6 2010
Related:
Live Review: Sunset Sounds 2010 – Day 1
Live Review: Sunset Sounds 2010 – Day 2
Photos: Sunset Sounds 2010 – Day 1 by Matt Palmer
Photos: Sunset Sounds 2010 – Day 2 by Matt Palmer
Photos: Sunset Sounds 2010 – by Stuart Blythe
Rodrigo y Gabriela Australian Tour – December 2009 / January 2010
Mexico’s breathtaking acoustic guitar duo, ‘Rodrigo y Gabriela’ are returning to play to Australian fans in January 2010 – for the 3rd time after stunning sold out audiences here in 2006 and 2008.
This time, their tour will include appearances at the Falls Festival in Victoria and Tasmania, Sunset Sounds in Brisbane and Southbound Music & Arts Festival in Western Australia – plus theatre side shows at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre on Sunday 3rd January and the Palais Theatre in Melbourne on Tuesday 5th January.
Continue reading Rodrigo y Gabriela Australian Tour – December 2009 / January 2010
Editors return to Australia December 2009
Sunset Sounds 2010 Second Line Up Announcement
Sunset Sounds 2010 – Brisbane 6-7 January 2010
SUNSET SOUNDS returns to announce a picnic basket-full of guests to join the soiree-starters of Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Grizzly Bear, Moby, Hilltop Hoods, King Khan & The Shrines, and loads more over January 6 and 7. Welcoming them to the lush paradise-like realm of the stunning Brisbane Botanical and City Gardens comes;
Dance-inducing, pop-culture fanatics DATAROCK (Norway)
Synth drenched icy-pop delivered by indie darlings DAPPLED CITIES
The dapper-suited pop-rock crooners LITTLE RED
Funny, dirty and devilishly clever JAMIE T (UK)
Gritty and charming modern exploration of pop music from BERTIE BLACKMAN
Evocative blenders of intelligent lyricism, the folky bliss-starters OH MERCY
The dream-like tapestries that weave an aural delight from PATRICK WATSON (Canada);
Statically charged wall of sounds from DZ;
Dressing indie tunes with a healthy dose of 60’s pop, Brissy’s own HUNGRY KIDS OF HUNGARY
Brisbane’s indie overlords FANS! DJS
Delicately layered lullabies of MCKISKO
With many more still to be announced!
Continue reading Sunset Sounds 2010 Second Line Up Announcement
Sunset Sounds 2010 First Line Up Announcement – Brisbane 6-7 January 2010
Australia’s newest, hottest, summer music festival SUNSET SOUNDS is back for its sophomore year after the inaugural SELL-OUT event in January; returning to the stunning Brisbane Botanical and City Gardens over January 6 and 7 to invoke a sumptuous summer soiree of delights.
With tickets to The Falls Festival selling out each year, fans need not despair as the most sumptuous of the handpicked spices from around the globe that are playing The Falls will frolic in the park at Sunset Sounds, such as; The kaleidoscopic vocals of Karen O guiding the formidable YEAH YEAH YEAH’S (USA); iconic songwriter and producer, MOBY (USA); rewriting the hip hop rulebook comes HILLTOP HOODS; nerve-shatteringly beautiful and likely |
contender for Album Of The Year, GRIZZLY BEAR (USA – First Ever Australian Shows); harmony-laden whole hearted dynamism of THE TEMPER TRAP; in his first Oz performance with new international band comes XAVIER RUDD; iconic modern rockers the EDITORS (UK); the ethereal, organic and immaculate performance of SARAH BLASKO; the unbridled dynamic energy of incendiary guitar virtuosos RODRIGO Y GABRIELA (Mexico); a hootenanny hoedown from bluesman SEASICK STEVE (USA); captivating soaring vocals and sonic alchemy of EMILIANA TORRINI (Iceland); the dazzling guitar work and shimmering tapestry of future folk from KAKI KING (USA); Chicago-based multi-instrumentalist and lyricist, the eclectic ANDREW BIRD (USA); diversely mixed palate of classic gypsy-pop from YVES KLEIN BLUE; sweet pop-folk sensibilities of LISA MITCHELL; the 11-peice psychedelic-soul big band explosion from dynamite act KING KHAN AND THE SHRINES (Germany – First Ever Australian Shows); the rare multi-instrumentalism and indie-rock melting-pot of THE JOHN STEEL SINGERS; three sets of funky hands from the feel-good brand of obscure pulsating electro/pop from ART VS. SCIENCE and the lush, raw, emotive power from Townsville folk darling’s THE MIDDLE EAST. Plus, LOADS MORE LOCAL & INTERNTAIONAL ACTS to be announced
Continue reading Sunset Sounds 2010 First Line Up Announcement – Brisbane 6-7 January 2010
Sunset Sounds 2009 Review
By Tara Kai Hammond
In an era when music festivals seem once again to be the current trend, there was definitely something very special and unique about The Sunset Sounds festival, put together by the same crew as the renowned Falls festival.
Originally the festival was proposed to take place in ‘beautiful’ Byron Bay, (under the name – The Byron Bay Arts festival). But the location had to change due to approval issues, and Brisbane’s Botanical Gardens was chosen to hold the event under the new banner – The Sunset Sounds Festival.
I was lucky enough to go along both days and soak up all the sun and sonic-goodness; and the following is an account of my first day at the festival.
*-:SUNSET SOUNDS DAY ONE:-*
After picking up my media pass and with a sense of excitement as I passed through the front gates, I headed straight for a big shady tree in front of the Hibiscus stage where I was entertained by the simple, laid-back, folk-rock, sounds of Australian band, TinPan Orange; which consisted of a Alex Burkoy on violin, and folk/soul driven female vocalist Emily Lubitz, – reminiscent of recent Australian artists such as Claire Bowditch – who strummed, plucked and tapped her ukulele, while singing from her heart and soul about love, life and loss.
Wandered over to the Garden stage for French based artist Soko; Soko‘s voice alternated enjoyablely between a husky-enunciation and a elevated-husky-shriek, but her songs of anguish and dejection, left me a little downhearted. The highlight of her set, for me, was the song I’ll Kill Her; Her live performance was a little strange with crying throughout her set, announcing her early retirement, and finishing her set rocking-out on the drums while singing about having a nervous-breakdown; I’m beginning to wonder if she will.
Recent graduate from Brisbane’s indie-dance-rock scene, Yves Klein Blue; were the first band on the River stage and seemed more than at home during their set. They played a high-energy show that left the crowd hyped-up and buzzing. The stand out song of the set for me and the rest of the audience was obviously the song Polka, but the set was so full-of-life and hot-to-go; that it was hard to tell whether the smoke that billowed of the stage during their set came from the band, smoke machines, or both.
Award winning English band Gomez, was next up on the Garden Stage; and I must admit to being a little bit disappointed due to their low-energy performance, which could have something to do with the fact that it was boiling hot when they played, or just couldn’t be bothered putting in much energy or effort. And also, because their set lacked a lot of the tracks they’re most famous for, like the tune Get Myself Arrested. However they did play some classics and crowd favourites such as Get Miles, Bring It On, GirlShapeLoveDrug, and We Haven’t Turned Around, amongst others. An excellent band in general, but I definitely had high hopes of them being even better live and couldn’t help feeling that they could have done better, (and would have at some point in the past).
I only got the chance to see The Rocketsmiths, (another quality Brisbane band), for a short while; but during that time I was quite impressed with the way they mix the funk-punk-rock-carnivalesque genres quite well. And they also reminded me of one of my favourite ‘old school’, Zappalesque, mixed genre bands, the one and only, Mr. Bungle.
If ego had a name, its name would be Howling Pelle Almqvist! The Hives certainly know how to entertain the crowd, and the power outage early in their set only fired up Pelle even more. The crowd wowed to their show but, for me, with Pelle declaring “You do not cut the power on The Hives!”, it was time to move along to the next act.
Making my way back to the Garden stage, The Cat Empire were a happy and vibrant breath of fresh-air, who put the crowd in a good mood, (with smiles and good vibes all around); got the crowd pumping, (arms and legs in the air and everywhere); and kept the happy-high-energy going the whole one hour set. Playing crowd favourites like Two Shoes, Someday, and So Many Nights, amongst others. And also a few covers as well – one of Paul Kelly’s songs Dumb Things, (which got the whole crowd singing along); and also a French version of The Eagles tune Hotel California, (which segued into their song Chariot). Throughout their six year career as a band they’ve received much recognition, (including their first album receiving seven ARIA nominations; their first two albums scoring double platinum sales; and the fact they’ve done around 600 sold-out shows between Melbourne and Montreal). The Cat Empire continue to be vibrant, warm, engaging, humble band; with attitudes of respect for creativity, the power of music, the environment, and other cultures and humanity in general.
The Cat Empires horn section eventually faded, sounding the end of the nights activities, and as the lights went down, the crowd cheered and began to quietly file out of the main gate like ants; tired, energized and eager all at the same time. And as I left the festival, (high on life and buzzing and beaming from ear to ear); I headed along the bamboo track that leads back into the concrete jungle, (a.k.a Brisbane City); and I let out a big “ahhhhhh” and thought – what a festival!!!… can’t wait for tomorrow!!!
By Tara Kai Hammond